Phase Coherent Vacuum-Ultraviolet to Radio Frequency Comparison with a Mode-Locked Laser

Abstract

We demonstrate a versatile new technique that provides a phase coherent link between optical frequencies and the radio frequency domain. The regularly spaced comb of modes of a mode-locked femtosecond laser is used as a precise ruler to measure a large frequency gap between two different multiples (harmonics or subharmonics) of a laser frequency. In this way, we have determined a new value of the hydrogen 1S-2S two-photon resonance, f(1S-2S) = 2 466 061 413 187.29(37) kHz, representing now the most accurate measurement of an optical frequency.